Advanced: A New Beginning
by HeroxPartnerfan96
Summary: May and Max move to Kanto due to Caroline receiving a job offer in Saffron City. Though they aren't sure what to make of the change, their minds are made up after May meets Ash and his friends. 1st in Advanced Series, light Advanceshipping, on hold until April-May
1. Welcome to Kanto

**Advanced: A New Beginning**

**Chapter 1: Welcome to Kanto**

One morning in Petalburg City, which could be found in a lower area of the Hoenn Region, a young woman had just finished placing all of her items into brown cardboard boxes. The woman had light purple eyes and she was wearing a bright yellow sleeveless dress that was light brown in the lower half with a bright orange flame pattern on the side, had a big white strap around the top and had a long red string tied around the waist along with white sandals: her name was Caroline Maple. After she finished closing the boxes, Caroline stood upright and looked around the Gym in silence. This had been her home for a long time and she had grown to love Petalburg City because of that. However, she had been given a job order at Silph Co which was in Saffron City all the way in the Kanto Region. Since she wasn't going there alone, Caroline was bringing her two young children with her while her husband, Norman, stayed to run the Gym. While Caroline was going to miss Petalburg City, she was hoping that Kanto would become a second home for her. "So, have you got everything ready that you want to bring with you?" Hearing that voice behind her, Caroline turned her head to see that it was Norman walking over to her. After a few seconds, Caroline showed a smile and she nodded in agreement before she turned around to face Norman.

"Yes, I've got everything I need. All that's left to do is wait for the Pokemon movers to come and bring all the boxes with them." Caroline replied. Just then, the two heard a knock on the door and turned their heads to look at the front door. "That must be them now. I'll be right back." Caroline said. With this, she walked over to the front door and opened it to see the moving truck parked outside the Gym and out from the truck came four Machoke: they were bipedal, humanoid Pokemon covered in gray skin, and their arms were muscular with red vertical stripes on them and they wore black shorts with a golden belt that had a red 'P' symbol on the front.

"I'm glad I was able to get your service. Everything is just inside in the main room." Caroline explained as she turned and pointed inside so the Machoke knew what they needed to get. The four Pokemon nodded in agreement and then started to make their way inside to start lifting up the boxes and bringing them over to their truck. As Caroline watched, she walked back inside to go over to Norman. "Having Pokemon movers is always so helpful. They help make moving to any place so quick and convenient. I'm not sure how anyone could manage without using their service!" Caroline happily commented as she and Norman turned to see the Machoke heading back outside with the boxes. Norman nodded in agreement with this statement and then he and Caroline looked back at each other.

"What about May and Max? Are they ready to go?" Norman asked. May and Max were Norman and Caroline's young daughter and son respectively; May was five years old while Max was only two years old. Despite their young age, the two loved their parents just as much as Norman and Caroline loved them. Caroline then showed an expression of surprise before she remembered that she still needed to get them up before they left.

"Thanks for reminding me, Norman! I'll go wake them up now." Caroline replied. With this, she turned and headed towards the staircase before making her way to see May and Max. She then looked back at Norman and added with a smile "You know much of heavy sleepers those two can be sometimes." She then giggled to herself before continuing up the staircase until she arrived in the hallway May and Max's rooms were in. First, she went over to May's door and gently knocked on it. "May, it's time to get up, sweetheart. We need to get ready to leave." Caroline said. There was silence for a few moments before Caroline heard a soft moan from inside the room.

"Don't come in... I'm still sleepy..." Caroline simply shook her head hearing that soft voice from inside the bedroom, and then she opened the door and stepped inside to see a small figure hiding underneath the bed doonas: she could tell that it was May. She walked over and pulled the doona back to reveal a little five year old girl with short, dark brown hair which hung down in two pigtail-like sections, bright blue eyes and wearing a long pink night dress. The young girl immediately opened her eyes and lifted her head up to see her mother looking down at her with a bright smile. However, May didn't look very thrilled and lay her head back down on the pillow with an expression of irritation. "Can't I stay in bed a little longer, Mum?" May groaned. May wasn't looking forward to moving to Kanto like Caroline was. It wasn't that she didn't think she would like it, but it just seemed to be out of her comfort zone and a bit too much of a change for her liking. Plus, she didn't want to leave for another reason: she really didn't want to leave Petalburg City. May then darted her eyes up to see Caroline still standing there before she slowly sat up with Caroline coming to sit on the bed beside her.

"Come on, May. We need to be ready to leave to get the Petalburg City Port. I don't want us to be late for our ship." Caroline said. May simply kept her glance away from Caroline, showing a cute pout with her arms crossed. As if she could tell what May's issue was, Caroline moved a little closer and pulled May over to her, placing her arm around her young daughter. "May, I know you're not too happy about moving away. But I think you'll really grow to like being in Kanto. You never know, you could actually make some new friends while you're here, both you and Max could." Caroline gently explained; she didn't want to see May in a bad mood about all of this. She was met with silence from May for a few moments before the young girl slowly turned her glance to Caroline, with her pout being replaced with an expression of puzzlement.

"How are you so sure about that?" May asked. Caroline simply showed a smile before she answered. "I might not know everything despite being your mum, but I have a feeling that you'll feel right at home in Kanto. It might a big shift from what you're familiar with, but if you gave it a chance, I think you might just enjoy being there. So, would you be willing to give this move a chance?" Caroline asked. May slowly looked down to think for a few moments. She did remember what her reaction was when Caroline first told her about the move to Kanto they would make: she did reject the offer harshly, though that was because she felt worried about the prospect of moving to a place she practically knew nothing about and the fact that she was scared that she wouldn't get to see Norman again. But, once Caroline came to calm her down and explain that she and Max wouldn't truly be separated from their dad and that they would get to see him from time to time, that seemed to settle May's mood a bit. But, she still remained hesitant about the move mostly due to said shift in region. And now that they were getting ready to leave... that made May realise that she had been acting out of line. She knew that her mum was right; she should give this a chance. So, after a few seconds, May looked back up at Caroline and nodded with a smile.

"Okay, Mum. I'll do it for you." May simply replied. That simple answer seemed to be all that Caroline needed, because a bright smile quickly showed on her face and she gave May a tight hug.

"Thank you, sweetie. I'm so happy to hear that." Caroline said. May was silent as Caroline hugged her before she showed a bright smile and hugged Caroline back; seeing her mum happy started to make May think that maybe this wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. After a few seconds, the two let go and Caroline got up from the bed. "Now can you please go wake Max up? I'm just going to make sure that everything we're bringing with us is in the truck." Caroline added looking back at May. May nodded in agreement and with that, Caroline walked out of the room before closing the door behind her. Once she was gone, May jumped up from the bed and walked over to her little wardrobe to start getting dressed.

Back with Caroline, she arrived at the bottom of the staircase where she could see Norman still in the kitchen. "May's up. I just asked her to go wake up Max and then we'll be ready to leave. I can't believe they were able to find me a position at Silph Co. I can't wait until we get there so I can see what it's like." Caroline commented as she walked into the kitchen where Norman glanced up to see her come in.

"I know. I'm sure it'll be great for you." Norman agreed. Caroline nodded in agreement, but then she looked down at the table with her formerly bright smile being replaced with an expression of worry. Norman quickly noticed this as he stood up from his seat and walked over to Caroline showing an expression of concern. "What's wrong, Caroline? Aren't you looking forward to all of this?" Norman asked. Caroline was silent before she stood up from her seat and turned to face Norman, looking down at the floor all the while.

"Yes, I am. I'm excited for this more than anything, don't get me wrong. But...I can't help but worry about May and Max." Caroline replied. Norman showed an expression of surprise, but he remained silent and nodded in understanding so he could hear what Caroline's concerns for them were. "I know I've told May not to worry about it, but I can't help myself worrying about how they will adjust being out of their comfort zone. I mean, I know they haven't been with us for very long, especially Max. But they've really grown to love living here just like I have. So I'm not sure of how they will be able to manage living in a different region and meeting different people from who they've grown to know. Do you think they'll be all right, Norman?" Caroline asked looking up at her husband with worry etched in her expression and hidden in her tone of voice. Norman remained silent as he was listening to Caroline's worries before a gentle smile showed on his face; he knew that Caroline loved May and Max just as much as he did and she was just looking out for them. With this, he placed his hands on Caroline's shoulders which prompted her to look up at him.

"Caroline, I'm sure that May and Max will be fine. I know that this will be very different from what they're familiar with, just like you said, but I have a feeling that they'll be able to adjust just fine. I know that you're concerned, but there's no need to be. But at the same time, it's good that you're concerned about their welfare. That just shows how much you love them and want them to grow up right. I have a feeling that they'll love living in Kanto, and that they'll be able to make great friends while they're there. So, Caroline, just remember to think about the best for them and I'm sure everything will turn out great." Norman explained. Caroline was silent for a few seconds after Norman said that before her expression of concern soon gave way to a bright smile; she knew that Norman was right. All that mattered was thinking about May and Max and doing the right thing for them, and now her worries about them adjusting to being in a different region were put at ease.

"You're right, Norman. I'm sure they'll grow to love it as well. Thank you; I really needed that support." Caroline responded. Norman simply showed a bright smile before he and Caroline shared a tight embrace, and then the two looked up at each other and kissed. Just then, they could hear the sounds of footsteps on the staircase and turned their heads to see May come down with Max still asleep in her arms; May was wearing a short puff-sleeved pink dress with a white collar at the front while Max was wearing a small light green t-shirt and dark brown shorts. "There you are, you two. So are we ready to go?" Caroline asked as she let go of Norman to turn to the two kids. May nodded in agreement and Max didn't respond because Max was still sound asleep.

"I couldn't wake Max up fully, so I just decided to bring him down. I did tell him we were going, but he wasn't completely awake. But I'm sure he'll be awake by the time we get there." May explained. Caroline simply nodded in understanding before she bent down and picked Max up from May. With that taken care of, Caroline walked over to place Max in the back seat of the truck while May turned to Norman. "I'm really going to miss you, Dad. It'll feel really strange not having you with me, Mum and Max." May said. She then looked down and she could already feel tears building up in her eyes: the fact that they were now leaving was starting to catch up with her. Noticing that May was starting to become upset by this, Norman bent down to her height so he could look her in the eyes.

"It's all right, May. There's nothing to get upset about. Besides, it's not like this will be the last time you'll see me. I'll make sure to visit you whenever I'm not busy and maybe you and Max could come back here for a couple of days when you get the chance. So don't worry; you'll still get to see me. I also want you to make sure you have a great time in Kanto, okay?" Norman asked. May slowly looked up at him to see his soft smile and, knowing that he was telling the truth slowly showed a bright smile before she brushed her tears away from her eyes and nodded in agreement. "That's great to see. I know you'll enjoy it there." Norman commented noticing May's response. May then looked back up at Norman before jumping up and wrapping her arms tightly around him while Norman nearly jumped back from surprise; she wanted to give him a hug before she left.

"Don't worry, Dad. I'll do my best while I'm there, I promise." May stated with a big smile on her face; the mood that she had shown ever since learning that they were leaving was now pretty much nonexistent. Now with all the support she had been receiving from Norman and Caroline, May was now feeling excited to get to Kanto. Norman quickly showed a smile at this statement and hugged May back, before the two turned to see Caroline come back inside.

"Come on, May! We're ready to go!" Caroline said. May let go of Norman and nodded. "Okay, I'm coming!" she replied. With this, she ran over to Caroline and then the two started to make their way out of the Gym towards the moving truck while Norman followed not too far behind until he stopped to watch from the door.

"Have a great time, you three! And make sure you look after each other!" Norman called as he waved from the door. Caroline and May both looked over their shoulders and waved back as they got inside the truck.

"We will! Thank you, Norman!" Caroline replied. "See you later, Dad! I love you!" May added. With this, she and Caroline got into their seats and closed the doors behind them. May looked back to see Max still asleep in his seat. "Max is still out like a light, it seems. Hopefully he'll wake up when we get there." May commented. After making sure that everyone was in their seats, the truck drove out of the front doorway leading to the Gym and started to head off down the road towards the Petalburg Port. As the truck was driving down the road, May was looking out the city seeing the trees go by and noticing the various Pokemon as they passed by her view. Caroline turned her head to see May happily looking out the window with a big smile and she couldn't help herself smiling in turn; she was glad to see that May was finally looking forward to moving to Kanto.

"How's Max doing back there?" Caroline asked. Her question was answered in no less than a second when May looked back to see the two year boy in question slowly sit up and rub his eyes before rapidly blinking them to get himself up. Noticing that he was awake, Caroline looked back to check on him. "Good morning, Max. How are you feeling?" Caroline asked while May simply looked at him with a smile.

"I've...been better." Max simply replied. His eyes suddenly snapped open when he realised that he wasn't in his bed and he rapidly looked around to find that he was in the seat of a moving truck. "What...what's happening? Where are we going?" Max rapidly asked with an expression of anxiety showing on his face. May and Caroline happily starting giggling noticing Max's worry; it seemed that he didn't remember the fact that they were leaving to go to the ship.

"Don't you remember, Max? We're going to Kanto. I couldn't wake you up, so I decided to leave you to sleep and wait for you to get up on your own. And wouldn't you know it, you're just in time to be up for our cruise!" May cheerfully commented. Max took a few moments to register the fact that they were leaving now and then he sat up with an expression of irritation.

"Well, you could have told me that sooner! I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to Dad!" Max snapped. May nearly jumped listening to her little brother's outburst and then she showed an expression of annoyance; how was she supposed to know that they were leaving at this time? "Well, sorry about that! But keep in mind that I didn't want to wake you up since you would be upset you were awake early. So you should be glad I was being a good sister to you!" May retorted before looking back out the window and crossing her arms. Caroline simply watched in silence and once she was sure that the two weren't arguing anymore, she looked over at Max in the back seat with an expression of concern.

"I'm sorry you didn't get to see Dad before we left, Max. But we'll call him when we get there to say that we arrive and you'll be able to talk to him then. Does that sound good?" Caroline offered. Max glanced up at his mother hearing this suggestion and then he showed a smile before nodding in agreement.

"Yes, it does. Thanks, Mum." Max simply replied. Caroline showed a bright smile seeing that Max wasn't in a bad mood anymore and then she looked back as the truck was coming close to the Petalburg Port. Caroline had a look out the window to notice that the ship they were taking to go to Kanto was pulling up to port as the port came closer into view, and then she turned to May and Max.

"We're nearly there, kids. Now just as a heads up, the ship will take about a day to get to Kanto. I'm just telling you in advance so that you'll know that it will be a while to get there and you won't need to ask if we're there yet. Do you both understand?" Caroline asked. May and Max both turned to each other before they looked back at Caroline and simply nodded in understanding; they both got the point clearly. "That's good. And please make sure to enjoy the cruise; it won't take forever, so I'm sure you'll find some ways to enjoy yourselves." Caroline replied showing a bright smile once she knew that May and Max both understood what she was trying to tell them.

Soon the truck pulled up near the port and May and Caroline got out of their seats and May opened her door and jumped out of the truck while Caroline was busy helping Max get out of his seat. Once she was done, Caroline walked to May with Max in her seats while the latter was looking up at the large ship that was in the port in awe. "Mum, is that the ship we're getting on?" May asked pointing up at the ship while Caroline looked with her to see what was wrong. Once she saw what May was pointing to, Caroline showed a smile and looked back at May nodding in response to her question.

"Yes, that's the one. In no less than a day, we'll be in Kanto once we're on there." Caroline replied. May looked back up at the ship with a smile of awe; compared to how small her height was, it looked like it seemed to be several times larger than she was. She then turned to see the Machoke that were in the back of the truck where the boxes were bringing out side boxes to be loaded onto the ship. "Come on, let's start boarding, shall we?" Caroline suggested. May cheerfully nodded in agreement and then she quickly rushed up the boarding ramp while Caroline followed with Max in her arms.

As with May, she was happily rushing around the deck of the ship taking in everything around her. "Wow...so this is what a real ship looks like. It's all so amazing! They've got everything you're looking for on here!" May happily exclaimed as she ran across the deck looking around at everything that was on there. She turned to notice the railings on the side of the deck and ran over to have a look, and then she looked out at the side with a big smile on her face. "You would almost be able to see Petalburg City from here!" May commented. As she was looking out from the railings, Caroline walked over to stand beside her, placing Max down on the floor beside her.

"I know. The view from here looks amazing, doesn't it?" Caroline asked. May looked up, hearing Caroline's voice, to see her standing beside her while Max slowly waddled over to have a look for himself. May showed a bright smile and nodded in agreement, though this would be the last time that she would see Hoenn for a while. Just then, the sound of the ship horn went off which meant that the ship was now departing to Kanto. May then looked back to see Hoenn slowly drifting away from her view as the ship slowly came out of the port and, deciding to make the most of it, she lifted her arm up and started to wave.

"I'll miss you, Hoenn! But don't worry! I'll be back soon!" May called. Caroline couldn't help giggling to herself as she watched May wave Hoenn goodbye; she could tell that May was going to miss Hoenn very much, just like her. But at the same time, she could tell that May knew that moving to Kanto would just be a new beginning for her and Max. Once the ship got further out into the ocean and Hoenn was becoming a small dot in the distance, May lowered her arm and then Caroline looked down at the two young children.

"Come on, you two. We're going to go see what our room looks like." Caroline said. May and Max both looked up at their mum and nodded in excitement. So with this, Caroline picked Max up and with May following beside her, they walked off across the deck towards the staircase leading to the rooms. As they were walking down the hallway, Caroline looked to find which number their room was until she stopped when she came to one door in particular. "This is our room: Room 101." Caroline commented looking down at May and Max. She then opened the door to see the room they had: it had a large bed on one side of the room, a bunk bed on the other side and a brown bedside table in the middle that had a lamp with a blue lampshade on it. It wasn't much, but that was their accommodation during the cruise. That didn't seem to matter much to May because she quickly showed a bright smile while Caroline placed Max on the floor beside her.

"Check it out, Max! We get to share a bunk bed!" May happily cheered turning to Max. But her smile faded when she noticed that Max wasn't beside her and she looked around in confusion before she turned her head to find Max already having climbed up to the upper half of the bunk bed.

"I call top bunk!" Max called waving from his new bed. May stared in alarm before she showed a glare and crossed his arms. "That's not fair! You always call top bunk!" May snapped. Max simply showed a smug smile while May glared at him in annoyance; why couldn't she ever get top bunk for once? Noticing that May was upset about getting stuck with bottom bunk, Caroline walked over to her and bent down.

"May, it's all right. Max just wants to make the most of the ride towards Kanto. Plus, you and Max will have your own rooms when we get there. Does that sound good to you?" Caroline asked. May showed a bright smile hearing this and then she nodded in agreement, before she ran over to the ladder on the side of the bunk bed and climbed up until she got to Max relaxing on the bed.

"Move aside, Max! I get top bunk this time!" May called as she jumped up onto the bed, which prompted Max to sit up and spot her sitting in the middle of the bed and he showed a smug smile before crossing his arms and looking away.

"No way! I was here first, so I get the top." Max retorted. That didn't seem to sit well with May because she turned to him with a nasty glare on her face. "You always get top bunk, though! I would like a turn for once!" May snapped in response. Max opened one eye to see May glaring at him and, having an idea, turned to her with a smile.

"All right, May. I guess you're right. You can have top bunk." Max said. May showed a bright smile hearing Max say that...until Max's smile then turned smug as he added "You can have it when we get back to Hoenn."

That really seemed to do it for May because she immediately lunged forward tackling Max. "That's not funny! It probably won't be a long time until that happens! I want to have top bunk!" May yelled. Max then pushed May off of him and the two glared at each other until they turned their backs with their arms crossed. Caroline was watching the two argue and then she let a small sigh of dismay; what was she going to do with them?

That night, the three were turning in to rest for the night. As Caroline made herself comfortable in her bed, she looked over at the bunk bed that May and Max were sharing. "I'm glad that you were both able to come to a compromise about which bunk you would have." Caroline commented showing a smile. With May and Max, they were both sleeping on the bottom bunk with the two sleeping on each end of it; May was sleeping at the top end while Max had the bottom end and the two were sharing the blanket they had. "Don't worry, you two. Hopefully we'll be at Kanto by tomorrow morning. And then we'll be able to make ourselves at home there. Goodnight, you two." Caroline explained before she closed her eyes and went to sleep.

"Goodnight, Mum." May and Max replied in unison. Though the two were both comfortable in the bottom bunk, they found that they couldn't get to sleep just yet. As the two stared up at the top bunk that was just above their heads, Max climbed out of his end of the bed and crawled over to May.

"Hey, May?" Max asked. "Yes?" May asked in response turning to see her little brother lying next to her.

"What do you think Kanto is going to be like?" Max asked. May turned her head to look back up at the top bunk as she thought about it. "If I'm being honest, I'm not entirely certain myself. But I hope it's really something special. This is a new experience for us, Max, and I hope it turns out as amazing as I want it to." May replied with a bright smile crossing her face while she was talking.

Max simply listened to May during her explanation and then he nodded in understanding. "I really want this to be something great as well. Although I don't think it'll match up to living in Hoenn." Max commented. May turned her glance back to Max and shook her head.

"Don't be too quick to judge, Max. You never know, you might enjoy being in Kanto just as much as living in Hoenn." May stated. Max looked back at May hearing this reply and he couldn't help wondering what had gotten into her; he had remembered her being as objective to the move as he was, so it was surprising to say the least for him to be seeing her this accepting of the change.

"Mum's really helped you make up your mind about this, huh?" Max asked. May simply nodded in agreement with a big smile; Norman and Caroline had both reminded her that this wouldn't be the last time she ever saw Hoenn, so that certainly helped with her choice.

"Yeah, I guess so." May replied. Max simply nodded in understanding, knowing that there didn't seem to be a way to convince May otherwise; she now had her heart set on making herself at home in Kanto and, for Max in all honesty, all that mattered to him was seeing his sister happy. May then let out a yawn and looked over at Max. "I think I'm going to turn in for the night now. It's probably going to be a few good hours until we arrive. Goodnight, Max." May commented before she turned her head on the pillow and made herself comfortable.

Max stared at his sister now sound asleep before he showed a smile. "Goodnight, sis." Max replied. With this, he crawled over to the end of the bed before pulling the blanket out for himself and made himself comfortable.

The next morning, Caroline, May and Max stood on the deck having a look out for Kanto. After a few seconds, the three brightly smiled as a city soon came into their view. "There it is, everyone. There's the Kanto Region." Caroline said pointing out in the distance for May and Max to see for themselves. May's smile grew larger as she let out a silent gasp in awe, while Max climbed up onto the railings so he could have a better look for himself. Caroline turned to see this and she grabbed Max off the railings before she lifted him up on her shoulders. "Don't do that, Max. You could fall off that way." Caroline reminded.

"Sorry, Mum. I just wanted to make sure I could see Kanto from here." Max simply replied. Caroline showed a smile of understanding hearing this while May ran over to look up at Max sitting on her shoulders. "Check it out, Max! We're almost there. Isn't this going to be exciting?" May cheerfully asked as she looked back out to see Kanto now coming closer into view.

Max simply shook his head seeing his older sister acting so excited. He couldn't really blame her, though; that meant that May was now looking forward to giving living in the Kanto Region a chance. Once the ship arrived at the port, Caroline, May and Max got off with Caroline holding Max in her arms while May walked beside her.

"Welcome to Kanto, you two. This is Vermillion City. I'll keep a look out for the truck that's taking us to Pallet Town." Caroline explained. The three didn't need to wait any long, it seemed, because they noticed that there was a bright red truck that had a white Pokeball symbol on its side with a long white stripe running along the side. "Well, it looks like they came sooner than I thought. Come on, you two. We're on our way to Pallet Town." Caroline commented looking over at May and Max while she was talking.

May and Max looked over at her and nodded in agreement, and then they climbed up into the truck getting into their seats, with Caroline at the front with May sitting beside her while Max was sitting in the back and closed the doors before the truck turned and started to make its way towards Pallet Town.

May and Max looked out the windows watching their new destination go by them while Caroline looked at the two with a smile. She couldn't wait for them to see what Pallet Town looked like. As with May and Max, while Kanto was going to be very different from what they were familiar with, they were hoping to make themselves just as much at home here. This...was a new beginning.


	2. Friends at First Sight

**Advanced: A New Beginning**

**Chapter 2: Friends at First Sight**

The truck had been driving down the road for at least a few good hours on its route towards Pallet Town. Inside, Caroline was looking out the window to see where they were, May was doing the same from her seat except she had an expression of irritation as she felt her patience starting to wear thin from all the time they had been on the road and Max had fallen asleep in the back seat. After about a few seconds of silence, May let out a groan of irritation which prompted Caroline to turn her head to see her annoyed expression. "Don't worry, May. We should be there soon. Hopefully it will just be a bit longer until we arrive in Pallet Town." Caroline explained. May looked over at Caroline showing her frown and then she nearly got out of her seat, but fortunately her seatbelt stopped her from going anywhere.

"But we've been driving down this road for hours now! I don't think I can wait any longer!" May snapped. Caroline nearly flinched hearing May's outburst and was about to speak again, but then she decided otherwise since she knew that May was likely going to yell at her again. Figuring that she made her point clear to her mum, May looked back at the window and crossed her arms again; she couldn't wait until they finally arrived because she wasn't sure how much longer she could take being in this truck. Just then, there was the sound of someone from the back seat and May and Caroline both looked back to see Max slowly sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "It looks like someone's finally awake. How are you feeling, Max?" May asked with a smile showing on her face and the frown that she had been displaying disappearing from her expression. Max rubbed his eyes for a few seconds before he slowly opened them.

"I'm good, thanks for asking. Are we at Pallet Town yet?" Max asked. Caroline showed a small smile and shook her head. "Not yet, Max. You can go back to sleep if you want. I'll wake you up when we get there." Caroline replied. Max nodded in agreement before resting his head back against the seat and closing his eyes; he was sure that it wouldn't be too long until they got there. Once Max was back asleep, May and Caroline both lifted their heads back to look out their windows again. "Hopefully it shouldn't too long until we get there." Caroline commented to herself.

As May was looking out her window, a bright smile immediately showed on her face when she noticed a white sign on the side of the road and as the truck passed by it, she noticed the red paint on the sign that said 'Pallet Town: A Pure White Beginning'. May then looked over at Caroline and Max with her excitement shooting upwards. "We're here! We've arrived in Pallet Town!" May happily cheered jumping up and down in her seat in excitement. Caroline looked at May with a smile seeing how thrilled she was now that they were here while Max sat up and opened his eyes hearing May say that.

"Wha...Are we here already?" Max asked, still trying to recover from having been asleep for as long as he had. May turned her head to look at her little brother and rapidly nodded with a big smile. "That's right, Max. We've arrived in Pallet Town!" May happily replied. As the truck pulled up in the middle of the small town, May opened the door beside her seat and jumped out looking around at Pallet Town; it was small, true, but it was definitely a peaceful town. Taking in everything around her, May lifted her head up into the air. "I'm here, Pallet Town! I'm in the Kanto Region!" May cheerfully announced, almost loud enough to scare away some bird Pokemon that were resting in the trees behind her.

While May was still busy absorbing her surroundings, Caroline had just gotten out of her seat and she was helping Max get out of the back seat. Once she got his seatbelt undone, Caroline lifted Max out of the seat and held him in her arms before she walked over to May, who was happily standing out in the middle of the town. "That's right, May. We're now in the Kanto Region. And over there's where our house is." Caroline explained, pointing over to a white two story house with a dark red roof and blue windows on each story of the house. As the Machoke were coming out and bringing the boxes that contained all of the items that had come along on the ship out of the back of the truck, Caroline and May walked over to the house with Max being carried in Caroline's arms and opened the door, stepping inside to look at the interior. Inside, the house was near empty with a staircase leading to a hallway that had three rooms for Caroline, May and Max. The three were silent as May and Max looked around in the house in surprise; this was going to be their new home? Caroline could see that the two didn't seem too impressed with the house, which she could tell was true as May looked up at her.

"This...is our new house?" May asked. Caroline looked down at her daughter and nodded. "Yeah, this is it. It might not look like much, but this will be our new home." Caroline replied. She then turned to see the Machoke movers standing behind them carrying the boxes they brought with them. "Okay, you can start bringing everything in now!" she called. She and May then stepped aside to let the Machoke movers enter the house to bring the boxes inside and place them on the floor before taking everything out of them, before they followed the Machoke inside; soon their house would be ready and they would be all set to officially move into Pallet Town.

At the house next door, young Ash Ketchum was up in his room looking outside the bedroom window to see what was going on. Ash was six years old, and he had short raven coloured hair, eyes that hid a brown tint which only showed on certain occasions, and he was wearing a bright yellow, short sleeved t-shirt that had a long dark red stripe running across the left side, light green shorts and small red sneakers that lay at the side of the bed. Ash looked out the window to see Machoke movers coming out of the house, having finished bringing in all of the items they had from their truck, before going back into the truck and the truck driving out of the front of the house next door. As soon as the truck left, a big smile showed on Ash's face; this must have meant that someone new had arrived in Pallet Town. "I better go tell Mum!" Ash said to himself. With this, he jumped off his bed and ran out of the room to go outside and find his Mum, but not before putting his sneakers on. As Ash arrived at the bottom of the staircase and made his way towards the front door, he accidently ran into a Pokemon who was busy sweeping up the living room. The Pokemon was a bipedal humanoid with a round white body with a red spot in the middle, light pink arms and legs connected to its body by red spheres, small white coverings on its knees, red pads on the tips of its white fingers and its black feet curling upwards at the tips, two dark blue growths extending from the sides of its head and red circles on its cheeks. The Pokemon, Mr. Mime, turned its head to see Ash behind it and it was wearing a white apron around its body and it was holding a broom in its hands. Ash shook his head having recovered from his collision and looked up at the Mr. Mime.

"I'm sorry about that, Mimey. I'm just looking for my Mum. Someone new has arrived at the house and I'd like for both of us to go see who it is." Ash explained. Mimey cheerfully nodded in understanding with a smile and pointed outside to the garden so Ash knew where to look. "Thanks, Mimey!" Ash happily replied, and then he opened the front door and rushed outside while Mimey watched him on.

Outside at the garden, a young woman was busy planting some seeds in the patches of soil. Her name was Delia Ketchum, and she had dark brown hair tied up in a ponytail behind her head with a dark green hair band, light brown eyes and she was wearing a light yellow t-shirt with a bright pink short sleeved cardigan on top, a long light purple skirt and white shoes. She was also wearing a long pink apron and a straw hat to protect herself from the sun. Delia let out a sigh as she stood upright to look at the garden; it did look barren now, but hopefully she could get some really good plants soon. "Well, there's always such a thing as a start and this is when I start this garden." Delia commented to herself.

"Hey, Mum! Mum, you've got to hear this!" Hearing that energetic voice behind her, Delia showed a bright smile as she could recognize that voice from a mile away. She turned around to see Ash running over to see her and she bent down to get to his height seeing his smile of excitement. "What is it, sweetie?" she asked.

"Someone has moved into the house next door. I couldn't see who it was, since they were probably already inside. But I did see the moving truck leave just now. And I was wondering if we could visit the new neighbours." Ash explained. Delia was silent while she listened to Ash talk and then she showed a bright smile and nodded.

"I think that's a wonderful idea! I just need to get changed and then we'll go see who our new neighbours are." Delia replied. With this, she headed out of the garden back towards the house while Ash followed right behind her feeling more excited than he already was; he couldn't wait to see who it was that had moved in next to them.

Meanwhile at the Maples' new home, Caroline had just finished setting up the kitchen placing the small tablecloth on the kitchen table while May and Max were setting their rooms up. Once she was finished there, Caroline walked over to the staircase. "May! Max! How do you two like your new rooms?" she called. There was silence for a few moments until there was the sound of two doors opening and May and Max stepped out into the hallway before they looked down at Caroline at the top of the staircase.

"My room is great, Mum! I can fit all of my items inside and I can arrange them so that they're easy to find. My room's just the right size!" May called back with a smile on her face. Max nodded in agreement; that was the case with his room as well. Caroline showed a bright smile when she heard this, glad to know that the two liked their rooms. Just then, there was a knock on the front door and Caroline turned to look at the front door while May and Max looked from upstairs. "Who do you think that could be?" May asked.

"I'm not sure. But I'll go see who it is." Caroline replied before heading over to the front door. May and Max both looked at each other with expressions of surprise before they came down the stairs deciding to meet whoever it was that was coming to visit them. Caroline opened the front door to see Delia there with young Ash standing beside her. "Hello there. Who are you?" Caroline asked.

"We're your next door neighbours. We noticed that you had arrived today, so we thought we'd come see you. My name's Delia and this is my little son, Ash." Delia replied with Ash showing a big smile and waving. Caroline looked down at the little boy beside Delia and then she looked back up at Delia with a smile showing on her face.

"Well, it's really nice to meet you two. Come on in." Caroline said, before she turned around and started to make her way to the kitchen. Delia and Ash both followed behind her and the two looked around the house, noticing just how similar it looked to their own. "We just got everything set up with the help of the Pokemon movers. I don't think we would have gotten the house finished this quick without their help. Having Pokemon movers is always so helpful!" Caroline explained as she came into the kitchen with Delia and Ash following behind her.

"I know! I mean, I've lived here in Pallet Town for as long as I can remember, but I can't agree more there. Moving from place to place has become so quick and easy thanks to having Pokemon to help out with the process." Delia agreed as she and Caroline sat down at the kitchen table. While the two were talking, May and Max arrived at the bottom of the staircase and came into the kitchen to see what was going on. Delia looked down to see them and showed a bright smile before looking back up at Caroline. "Are these two little ones your children?" she asked.

Caroline nodded. "Yes, that's right. This is my daughter, May, and my son, Max. May, Max, meet Delia and her son, Ash." Caroline said looking down at May and Max, who then turned their heads to see Ash standing beside Delia while he turned to notice them and showed a bright smile and walked over to them.

"Nice to meet you, Ash." May simply said. "It's great to meet you too. In case you're wondering what my Mum was talking about, I noticed the moving truck parked outside your house and I had the idea to come visit you since you arrived today." Ash explained. May nodded hearing this, recognizing that it was nice of Ash to make that suggestion, and then she looked up at Delia and Caroline to see that they were busy talking so she looked back at Ash.

"I think our mums will be a bit busy for now. Would you like for me to show you me and Max's rooms?" May suggested. Ash showed a big smile and nodded. "Yeah, that sounds great!" he replied. With this, May walked over to the staircase and headed up to the rooms with Ash and Max following behind her. Once the three arrived at the top of the staircase and came up into the hallway where the bedrooms were, May turned to Ash.

"First, I'll show you what Max's room looks like." May said. She came to the door that was on the left hand side of the hallway with a name carving on the front of the door that said 'Max' and opened it to show the room; it had blue wallpaper with white stripes streaking across it on the walls, a small bed on the left hand side of the room that had a light green doona and sheets on it, a light brown bedside table beside the bed as well as little cupboards around the room to store the items Max had brought along with him which, concerning his young age, wasn't very many. Ash showed a smile of interest as he, May and Max stepped into the room so he could have a better look around. As Ash looked at the room, he looked down at Max.

"I have to say, Max, your room looks great. It must have taken a while to get everything set up." Ash commented. Max simply shook his head in response; thanks to the Machoke movers, his and May's rooms were complete in a flash. Noticing that Max wasn't saying anything, Ash showed an expression of confusion and turned to May. "Max doesn't talk very much, does he?" he asked.

May turned to Ash hearing this question and then she showed a smile as she spun right around to face him. "Oh, about that. Max usually doesn't say much, but when he does, everyone else is surprised by how much he can say for being so young. So he makes up for that by not talking much around others." May explained. Ash showed an expression of surprise hearing this and looked back over at Max who simply showed a big smile and winked; May was right about that. May then turned and started to head out of Max's room, turning to Ash as she said "Now I'll show you my room."

Once the three got back out of the hallway, May opened the door that led to her room and stepped inside with Ash and Max behind her. Ash had a look up to see that the room had wallpaper that was coloured a combination of pink and purple with matching flowers painted across the wallpaper, a bed that looked like Max except that it was a bit larger and the doona and sheets were coloured dark pink and purple instead of green, a bedside table beside the bed that looked like Max's, as well as little brown cupboards just like in Max's room, except that they had a few more items in them since May had a bit more to bring with her unlike what Max had. As the three walked around the room, Ash had a close around for himself before he started to show a big smile and looked over at May.

"You two both have great rooms. I can see that you really did a great job with both of them." Ash commented. May and Max looked at each other before they looked back at Ash and nodded in agreement with bright smiles; they wanted to make sure that they would enjoy the time they would spend in Kanto. And it was obvious that Ash could see that as well if his reception was anything to go by.

Downstairs in the kitchen, Delia and Caroline were both sitting at the table and enjoying a conversation. "So you're really from the Hoenn Region?" Delia asked.

"Yes, that's right. We actually live at Petalburg City. But I was given a job offer at the Silph Co in Saffron City and moved here with May and Max. My husband is the Gym Leader at Petalburg City." Caroline explained. Delia showed a bright smile of excitement hearing this; she didn't expect to hear that Caroline was married to a Gym Leader and that she was going to work at Silph Co, so those bits of news came off as a pleasant surprise to her.

"Wow, you're so lucky! And that's great to hear that you're working at Silph Co. Do you know what you'll be doing there?" Delia asked.

"No, not yet. I made the application a few days before we moved here, so they still need to find a position for me. But I'm sure that I'll be able to get a good placement there." Caroline replied. While the two were talking, Ash, May and Max arrived at the bottom of the staircase and made their way over into the kitchen to which Delia and Caroline both looked down to see them. "So, did you two show Ash your rooms?" Caroline asked.

"We sure did, Mum. And Ash liked them both; he said that we have great rooms. Isn't that nice to hear from him?" May asked in response. She then looked over at Ash with a smile, to which Ash turned to her and smiled back. Caroline couldn't help herself smiling as well; she was glad to see that May and Max had both made a great friend in Ash. "Mum, are we going to call Dad to tell them that we've arrived?" May asked, as she looked back up at Caroline. Caroline stared in silence for a few moments before she nodded.

"Oh yes, that's right! I said that we'd do that on our way here, wouldn't we? Thank you for reminding me, May." Caroline said. May happily nodded giggling to herself; despite her young age, she certainly had a good memory when she needed to. Caroline then turned to Delia and asked "Where could I find your phone, Delia?"

Delia then pointed towards the staircase. "The phone is right next to the staircase. You shouldn't be able to miss it." she explained. After this reply, Caroline got up from her seat and walked over to the phone with Ash, May and Max following right beside her.

"What's your mum doing?" Ash asked. "My dad didn't come with us because he needs to stay in Petalburg City to run the Gym. So we're going to call him to let him know that we made it here safe." May replied. She then nearly jumped and covered her mouth as soon as she realised what she just said, and then she looked at Ash with an expression of worry wondering what he was going to say after having just heard that. Ash stared in stunned silence as he registered what May just said, before a big smile of awe showed on his face and his eyes went wide in amazement.

"Your dad is a Gym Leader? That's so cool!" Ash exclaimed. May had to admit that she was surprised to see Ash so ecstatic to learn that, but she couldn't help herself smiling seeing his excitement and then she nodded in agreement. The four then arrived at the phone, which was in the form of having a screen at the centre, the phone cord at the side and the number pad on the front. Since there were a few seats next to the phone, Ash, May and Max jumped up onto them while Caroline dialled the number of the Petalburg City Gym. After a few seconds to wait, the screen turned on to show Norman's face.

"Hi, Norman! We've arrived in Pallet Town and we just finished setting up our house." Caroline said happily waving to the screen. Norman showed a bright smile hearing this. "Well, that's great news. I'm guessing May and Max both have their rooms set up?" he asked. Caroline nodded in agreement; May and Max were both all set up. "And speaking of May and Max, how are the two doing?" Norman asked. Just after he asked that, May and Max both came over and climbed up onto the chair to look at the screen, and Caroline got up from the seat and moved aside to let them have some room.

"Hi, Dad!" May and Max cheerfully said in unison showing bright smiles waving at the same time, both of them happy to see their dad over the phone.

"Well, hello there, you two. I've heard from your mother that you've both settled into your new home." Norman commented. May and Max both nodded in agreement while Ash watched them wondering what was going on.

"We sure have, Dad. Our rooms are great! We both have plenty of space for all of our items. And also, we've made a new friend today." May explained. She then turned her head to Ash and motioned him over to come and talk to Norman. Ash jumped out of his seat, which was next to the seat where the phone was and walked over before he jumped up onto the seat and looked up at the screen. "Dad, I'd like you to meet our new friend, Ash." May said as she moved back so Ash had plenty of room to sit on the seat. Once he was comfortable, Ash looked back up at the screen and waved with a big smile.

"It's nice to meet you, young man. I can tell that May and Max have already gotten along well with you even though they've just met you. And I'm guessing they've already showed you their rooms?" Norman asked. Ash nodded in agreement; that was indeed the case and he had said that he thought they both had great rooms.

"Yeah, that's right. And May told me that you're the Gym Leader where you live, Petalburg City. That is so cool!" Ash agreed with a big smile on his face. "Yes, that's true. I wanted to come with Caroline, May and Max, but I have to stay here to run the Gym. But I told them that they could visit back here sometime. Maybe you and your mother could come with them when that happens." Norman suggested. Ash nodded in agreement at this suggestion; he would love to go see what another region looked like. While Norman was busy talking, Delia came over to see what was happening.

"Who are you talking to, Ash?" she asked. Ash turned to see her standing behind him, and then Delia looked up at the screen to see Norman there and she showed a bright smile. "I'm guessing that you're May and Max's father?" she asked.

"Yes, I am. And you are?" Norman asked in response. Figuring that his mum would need the phone, Ash jumped off the seat and walked over to May and Max while Delia sat down in front of the phone to talk to Norman.

"May, I was wondering. Would you and Max like to come with me to see Gary and Leaf? We usually meet just outside Pallet Town, so I figured that they might like to meet you two." Ash suggested. May simply stared at Ash with an expression of puzzlement wondering who he was talking. Ash wondered why May looked puzzled until he realised that she didn't know who they were and then he smiled as he decided to clear it up. "Oh, I should explain. Gary and Leaf are two other friends of mine. Though Gary and I have a bit of rivalry between us; Leaf is usually the one to try and sort us out." Ash explained. May immediately smiled, now that she understood who the two were, and then she quickly nodded.

"That sounds great!" she happily replied. When the three arrived back in the kitchen, they could see Caroline busy making something. "Excuse me, Mum?" May asked. Caroline turned her head in surprise and looked down to see the three children standing in front of her. "Ash is heading off to see two of his other friends and he wanted to know if me and Max could go with him. Is that all right with you?" May asked. Caroline didn't even need to think about it for a second before she showed a bright smile and nodded in approval.

"Of course that's okay! If that means that you and Max will get to meet Ash's other friends after arriving here, then that's okay by me." Caroline replied. May immediately jumped in the air in excitement, hearing that Caroline had given them the go ahead, and then she ran over and hugged Caroline tight.

"Thanks, Mum!" May cheerfully said. She then looked back at Ash and nodded, silently telling him that Caroline said yes. Ash showed a big smile noticing this gesture; that meant May and Max could come with him.

"That's great! I just need to let my mum know." Ash said. He then turned his head to see Delia sitting at the phone still talking to Norman. "Hey, Mum!" Hearing that voice, Delia turned her head to see that it was Ash calling out to her from the kitchen. "I'm heading out to see Gary and Leaf now! And May and Max are coming with me." Ash called.

"Okay! Have a good time, Ash! And make sure you three be careful!" Delia replied, brightly smiling and waving from where she was sitting at the phone.

Ash nodded at this response and then he made his way to the front door with May and Max following behind him before he opened it and the three stepped outside closing the door behind them.


End file.
